Gin Rummy
by SomeplaceonlyIknow
Summary: On a rainy day after a joint practice, Seijuurou invites Kou inside and they end up playing a game of Gin Rummy with bets invloved. Who will win? And what does the the winner want?


At some point during the joint practice between Samezuka and Iwatobi, the sound of small pitter- patters could be heard hitting against the clear glass windows that decorated the walls of the olympic size swimming pool. Every now and then, the drops of water would lighten up, only to get worse once more within several seconds.

To make matters worse, the maroon-haired manager of Iwatobi had not been prepared for the oncoming rain either, having left her umbrella and rain jacket at home because it _had _been a beautiful, sunshiny morning. There had been no indication of the onslaught of rain that now poured down while she stood under the awning of Samezuka, debating if she should sprint home or wait it out. Before she could even begin to think about it though, a "Gou-kun" came from behind her. Sighing and frowning, Kou turned around to see the red-headed energetic manager of Samezuka jogging toward her from down the way, his hand waving wildly and a wide grin spread across his face. Really, it made him look quite childish.

As soon as he stopped in front of her, breath a little uneven and hand behind his head, his grin widened even more. Kou, on the other hand, was still frowning. "It's Kou. Not Gou-kun." She stated, her voice dry and filled with slight annoyance. How many times did she have to tell him, it's Kou, not Gou.

Even with the remark, the smile never faltered. "Right, my bad." The teen shrugged it off nonchalantly. Suddenly, the air turned awkward as the silence continued. Each second that passed, Kou noticed that the Captains face was getting redder and redder. Right as she was about to ask, Seijuurou suddenly blurted "Go-K-k-ou-san." Eyebrows furrowing at the sudden shout, Kou head tilted to the side in a questioning manner.

Taking a deep breath, Seijuurou miraculously manage to calm himself down so that this time, he didn't stutter. "Would you like to wait inside for the rain to pass?" His smile had changed into one that was sheepish, almost shy while his hand rubbed the back his of head nervously. Biting her lip, Kou turned a glance to the sky. Dark gray, ominous clouds still blocked out the sky. It didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. Inwardly sighing, she turned once more to face the Samezuka Captain. "Sure."

Inwardly cheering, but calm on the outside, Seijuurou led the young girl back inside to wait out the storm.

Without really thinking about it, Seijuurou let Iwatobi's manger to the nearest lobby, where there were snack and drink machines. Opening the door and holding it for her, Gou automatically strided in and glanced around. There were two couches, a table, bookshelves, games and an old television. Taking a seat on the couch, Gou found herself sinking in and still looking around the place. It was rather nice-but then again, what did she expect from Samezuka Academy.

While Kou took a seat, Seijuurou had glided over the the drink machine. "Kou-san, would you like a drink?" He called behind him, smiling. Upon being asked, the girl suddenly realized how thirsty she was and if he was offering to buy, then why not? " Yes please. I'll just take a water." Within seconds, Seijuurou was sitting on the couch opposite of her and he had placed the water in front of her. Grateful, Gou sent him a smile as she unscrewed the cap and took a swig.

_Much better. _She thought happily.

Seijuurou too took a drink, but only in an attempt to quiet his quickening heartbeat. It had been the smile. Never before had she smiled at _him _like that, and boy, did it have an effect on him. At that moment, the situation actually sink in. Across from him, was the most beautiful girl in the world and to make even better, she had a heart of gold. He could see it when she smiled and talked to the members of Iwatobi and even her brother.

"Do you want to play a game?" Kou suddenly asked, eye the deck of cards on the shelf. Might as well do something besides sitting there and waiting for the rain to pass. Since he had been distracted, Seijuurou blinked stupidly at her, unsure of what to say. Taking the silence as a yes, Kou walked over, grabbed the cards and sat back down. "Let's Gin Rummy." Gou suggested as she started to shuffle the deck.

Still confused, the teen across from her just nodded as he placed the water bottle to the side. Gin Rummy just happened to be a game he enjoyed playing. "Gou-san," he said, catching her attention, "Why don't we make a bet?"

It also happened to be a game he was very, very good at.

The corner of her mouth tilted up at the suggestion, her eyes taking on the same wicked gleam that Rin had given his several times. "Okay Mikoshiba, if you win, what happens?" Kou questioned as she started to hand out cards.

"A date." He said easily and aloofly, the smile never leaving. "What about you?"

"Not telling." She goaded with a wink as she picked up the cards and spread them expertly in her hands. Following her example, the intense game of Gin Rummy started.

Two hours later, Seijuurou sat slumped in his seat, head down and the smile gone. Sure, he had been good, but Kou was better. Across from him, said female was grinning happily as she picked up the cards and put them away. The game was finally over and Kou was announced the winner by one point. Sighing sadly, Seijuurou stood and waited for her to place the cards back on the shelf before leading her back out the front.

Opening the door leading to outside, Seijuurou was sad to see that the rain had now passed and the sun was starting to head down. When Kou strided past him, he watched her, disappointed that he had lost their game of Gin Rummy. Suddenly, Kou turned to face him, eye automatically locking on his. "Did you forget?" She asked casually.

"Of course not." He replied back, attempting to hide the disappointment. How could he? The whole time he had been wondering what she had wanted if she won. Now that she did, he would finally find out. "Walk me home and I'll tell you."

Within seconds, Seijuurou's eyes lite up he was grinning once more. Eagerly he stepped outside and they started to Kou's. The entire walk down there, Kou never left his side. In fact, every now and then, there arms would brush. To say the least, Seijuurou was in heaven. Minutes later, they arrived at the door to her house. Turning to face him-Kou did something unexpected, she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. In shock, he stood frozen, his eyes wide and face turning red.

"After our next joint practice, you can take me to dinner." With that said, she was then gone inside the house. Seijuurou, still in shock, was left on the doorstep for a second before he let out a shout of glee and fist pumped.


End file.
